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Check Engine? Not anymore

Just seen an item in USA Today that claims about 10 percent of all vehicles on the road have a check-engine light showing. And here's the thing: In half of them, according to the report, the light has been showing for three months or more.Okay, it could be just an electronic glitch. But you'd think folks would get it checked out. Even if it was only to get rid of the glowing gargoyle on the instrument panel.This item reminds me once again just how bulletproof today's automobiles really are. The good old days weren't really that good. Most engines needed a valve grind and decoke every 60,000 miles -- or less, in the case of many of the crappy British engines my dad worked on -- and you had to change the oil religiously every 3000 miles.I remember relining brakes, repacking wheel bearings, and crawling under the car with a grease gun in hand to lube the chassis (do they even make grease guns anymore?). In terms of maintenance, my first car, a 1968 Mini -- six years old, with 68,000 miles on the clock when I bought it -- was a permanent work in progress. It was like having the Golden Gate Bridge parked in my driveway.By contrast, my youngest son's 12-year-old Toyota Corolla -- which has now covered more than 161,000 miles -- demands only a weekly fill of gas and an occasional top up of oil. It's grungy, faded, and one of the engine mounts has seen better days, sending a zinging vibration back through the cabin at idle. But if there's ever a nuclear attack on California, all the cockroaches will be driving Corollas. It's indestructible.Newer automobiles even think about the maintenance for you. The BMW 7 Series I ran a couple of years back went nearly 18,000 miles before its first oil change. The car told me when it needed new oil, just like it told me when it needed new brake pads, when the windshield washer bottle needed filling, and when it needed air in the tires. It used to be a weekly ritual of mine to check the oil, and the fluids, and the tires. No more.Perhaps that's the problem. Perhaps modern automobiles have become -- mostly -- so self-reliant we're no longer awed by the miracle of motion. So now we just get in, turn the key, and expect our automobiles to go, without a second thought. Even when the check engine light is on.

My Merc Sable has had a ck engine light on for about 3 years. Every once in awhile, my brother(auto tech) plugs it into his little hand-held computer which continues to spit out a problem with the catalytic converter sensor. Thankfully, where I live, there is no government regulations requiring me to fix this, and my car still runs great. It's cheaper this way.

Another light that comes on is the tire pressure light. After having it checked two times, each time it went off, I was told that the atmosphere pressure sometimes triggers it. With regards to engine check light, I guess with cars becoming more complex, unlike old cars, more things can go wrong, thus more reasons for the light to go on. Does anyone know if there is a home kit that I can use to diagnose the engine check light when it goes on? I hate paying so much just to have car checked out each time it goes on. Just leave me a message with your answer at: http://www.misscardealer.com/AboutMe.php

I never let that light go in the bimmer. I actually never saw it once. Although when a light ever did turn on it cost me over a grand. The battery light, airbag, traction control, and overheating(a couple times) all turned on, but not the engine light. My friends on the other hand ALL drive with the engine light on. I tell them it's free to get it checked at an auto parts store yet they can't be bothered. It's really kinda stupid.

red_dog007, for $3,000 you should have had a newer engine put in there, and if you have a 4 cyl Accord, you could even had a 2001 H22 off a prelude Type SH put in there for $2,000 or less w/ transmission & wiring harness.

I have been driving around with a check engine light for at LEAST 6 months now. Only, I know what the problem is. The first time it came on, took it to Advanced Auto, got the codes, fixed the problem. New EGR Valve. Couple months later it's on AGAIN, for the same problem. I knew the EGR Valve couldn't have been shot, I got it brand new from Honda. Took it to HondAcur (a local Honda and Acura shop, Dayton, OH area...they do GREAT work!!! Plus, you see the nice play on words for their name), told me I needed to have some'n else cleaned out then it would be fine. I've just negelected to do it cuz funds are tight right now. I know, I'm probably sacrificing a little the MPG department, but it's still runs great...(knock on wood). My car is awesome!!!

i had a 2000 ford taurus, for about last 1-1.5 yr of ownership it had check engine light on. took it ford dealer 3 times, 1st time it was just tighten the gas cap and drive it for about a day or so, it didnt fix it, 2nd time they said that there is a leak in evap system, so lets change few things, it costed me $ 800.00 , but didnt fix it. 3rd time it costed me $ 400.00 , after that, i drove it about 9 months before selling it, during that period of time i beat the crap out of it, but the car was running strong with no problems atall ( except that the check engine light was on ) . and never has that car broke down . so i say tough cars weak 'check engine' sensors

My last car, 2001 Chevy Impala, did everything the BMW 7 series does, minus the brake pads part. It would tell me when my washer fluid was low, low tire pressure, and would tell me when it needed new oil. If the check engine light comes on, I just take my car to auto-zone and they scan it for me and tell what the code means for free.

I have a friend with the perpetual check engine light on her Toyota RAV4. She just doesn't care. Emissions control issues are one of the biggest causes of the light coming on. Most of the time failing emissions control equipment won't hurt your engine, so people just ignore it now. It would be nice if they made it a separate light.

I also had a 1999.5 VW Golf. That car was evil when it came to the check engine light. It was always on, and the dealer told me just to ignore the light and drive on. Luckly I don't have to worry about emissions.

I had a 93 accord with over 350k on it when i bought it. The check engine light was always on. I took it to the local honda dealer, and was told just to change my oil regularly and drive on. I racked up 50,000k of hard driving on the car with the light on, and then sold it. Its still bombing around town with the light on more then 2 yrs after i sold it.

In New York State, a car cannot pass inspection with a check engine light on. My 2003 Mazda3 had the light on for months although it was driving fine. My dealer charged me $90 for a diagnostic and replaced an oil pressure valve for $700. After driving about 100 miles, the light came back on. The dealer then claimed the last oil change used oil with too thick a viscosity and charged me another $50 or so. Again, after a short drive the light came back on. Finally, the dealer changed the PCM computer under a “federal warranty” (whatever that means) and my car passed inspection.I think it’s crazy for states to make people spend large sums of money to pass a vehicle inspection. The check engine light is obviously an undependable means of determining a vehicle’s problems. After this, I’ll only lease cars up to the manufacturer’s warranty.

check engine lights are evil. They come on for stupid reasons like the gas cap, and end up getting ignored by the driver when something serious really does happen. Not to mention most mechanics see nothing but dollar signs when you tell them its on. They can charge you for a whole new engine if they wanted to and most poeple wouldn't know any different. A group of us in my neighborhood got together and bought a robust scanner because the garages in the area are such theives. I think cars should have 2 lights... the current light for emissions issues and a skull and crossbones light indicating dealth of your car is about to occur!! (like when there is no oil pressure!) That way people can make better decisions.

My past 2 cars, a Honda Accord and Acura TL both flashed the Check Engine light when the oil needed to be changed. Most places will reset the light for you, but some dont. Needless to say, it tells you in the manual how to reset the light

I bet about half of the 10% of the vehicles with the check engine light on are Volkwagens. It's just part of the ownership experience. My girlfriend's 2001 Jetta 1.8T has been to the dealer numerous times to have her car diagnosed and "repaired" only to have the light come back on a week later. Now she just doesn't care anymore. I found a solution for my 2002 GTI 1.8T it's called an APR chip upgrade. I can cancel all my fault codes at any time so no more check engine light. Now if i could only figure out how to stop my brake light from flashing and my airbag, ABS and ASR lights from glowing.

Yes they still make grease guns. We use them to grease up the machines on the job site, like bobcats, mini excavators and backhoes, just to name a few. We even have eclectic ones, which are way better then the manual pump ones.

IF YOU OWN A DOMESTIC CAR, YOU'RE SCREWED IF THAT LIGHT COMES UP. IF YOU OWN A JAPANESE/KOREAN OR BMW (the only German car brand which can compete with Honda's quality) CAR, YOU MIGHT SEE THE LIGHT AGAIN. ^__^

I think the majority of the check engine lights staying on is because they might have a bad gas cap. I had to go through the same process. I did end up having the check engine light come on again after I got a replacement gas cap in the 03 Neon. The light was gone after I filled up one time but I do know it has the code stored for future reference and such. I will get that taken care of the next time I am at the dealer for that car.

One time, I actually got a code that only was a problem with 1 item. Replaced it, cost like $150 and that still never fixed the damn thing!Just hope that it is your catalytic converter. I have had that code before and that was never near the issue.

My 2000 Accord was giving me issues. I went to Autozone at least 100 times. The same 2 codes kept poping up and I ended up getting EVERYTHING replaced, and nothing worked. So to be able to pass emissions, I had to actually manually reset the computer so that I could get that engine light off for 10 miles. The real problem ended up costing $3,000 for a new head. Thing is, those free autozone checks are manly for those cars that are 1996 and newer when they started coming with computers and 1,000 sensors. Anything older then 1996 I have never had to take to Autozone.

I have an 00 accord and my light has been on for just about 3 months. But I know the cause of it, so it's just a matter of getting the part, a catalytic converter. I glad I stay in the good ol state of SC, where smog check are not required

Yea that check engine light haunts my g/f. When she needed to pass smog she had to get it fixed to do so, even though it passed the test. she ended up paying over 300 to fix the overdrive. I had to lend her money to do so.

Ummm.... Not in all cases. I know a lot of people, and have seen a lot of peoples whos cars engine lights are always on. ALL the time. Spits out an error that costs them $200. They get it fixed and then it spits out another error that costs $75. When emissions times comes around, everyone goes and gets their car get a temporary fix just so that they can pass emissions before the light comes back on.Sure, engines fluids last a lot longer these days, but todays cars are horrible. I hate a all of vehicles 1996 and up because of how advanced they are, they just eat your money when they get hungry.My good old days is a 1971 Datsun 240z that never needs a thing! Less electronics and more mechanics I would take any day over the computer.

No reason not to get that light checked out. Stores like Autozone and Advanced will read your code for free. I've done it many times, including taking up my mother's car, only to find out she didn't twist her gas cap on tight enough.All of our current GM cars, some up to 8 years old, tell us how much oil life is left and go well past 3,000 miles before a change. They all also handle the duty of turning on and off the headlights automatically, which I love because there is nothing I hate more then seeing people driving at night with no lights (and I do see this very often unfortunetly). The 2007 gives me individual tire pressures in the DIC, with just about any other info I need.Love the gadgets and information systems. Hate the SVS codes that tell me I have a burnt out fog light or headlight. Odd and disturbing, there is no code for a burnt out taillight bulb. *Duh*??

i have a little land rover freelanader from 2004. sometimes the check engine light will just magicaly appear, but after i park the car, turn it off, do my errons, and return... the check engine light is off, not to return for another three months or so, so usually when it turns on i think nothing about it.

I’m guilt of having that light on… both my cars. My cars are very well maintained and serviced regularly. I do my own oil changes, rotate my tires and replace my brakes and rotators all the time. But my cars are both modified for performance gains. I have a scanner and I know what codes are being thrown. And I know what’s causing them. My 2000 1.8t VW engine throws the same MAF sensor code all the time. I replaced it once with the right sensor any my engine stopped working. I then replaced with a 2.0 sensor and every thing was all good. In 2004 I hit 256k on the motor. It still runs strong today. I just don’t drive it as much. Unlike most people who drive around with the light on, I know what its for :)

You know, for around $100 you can just go to PepBoys and buy the OBD scanner now.. It seems knowing if there's a real issue, or just 'misfire cylinder 3' is a lot less pricey than a tow and a new mill when your is seized... Just a thought...